SERMON XXXVIII.. Sg?t $ody, andChrist is the head." Now the members must in their measurebecomesharers of whatthe headpossesses. In your pro- portion, O christians, you shall have communion with Christ your Lord, in his royalties and his wide dominion : for he hath promised that " ye shall sit down on his throne, when ye havé overcome your enemies, even as he overcame, and is down on the throne with his Father ;" Rev. iii. 21. Ye are one with Christ, and therefore in your measure, O believers, and accord- ing to your capacity, ye shall possess and enjoy all things which lie possesses, so far as is requisite for your benefit in this world, andyour truest happiness for ever. III. The saints are actually invested with this privilege, by believing on the Son of God, byaccepting the covenant of his grace, by receiving Christ Jesus the Saviour, according to the appointed methods of the gospel. When a poor, destitute, guilty, and perishing 'creature is made willingby divine grace, to give up himselfto Christ as his Saviour and his Lord, he is divested Of his 'guilt, he is clothed with the robes of salvation, he is trans- lated out of a state ofsin, poverty, and wretchedness, into a state of rich grace, and becomes a child of God, and an heir of all things. A living faith, which lias all the springs of holiness in it, is ordained to carry in it all the springs of treasure andfelicity. This unites the soul to Christ, this gives a hum- ble claim to all the blessings laid up in the eternal decrees and purposes of God ; blessings purchased by the blood of his Son Jesus ; blessings promised ,in the word of the gospel, yvherein all things are given for a possession to the children of 'the Most High. IV.. All things may be said to belong to the saints, or shall turn to their advantage, because theblessed Spirit is given them, to teach theta to improve all things for their own benefit ; 1 Cor. ü. 12. We have received the Spirit, which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God: And that not only that christiansmight know what their treasures are, but learn how to make a right use of them too. They are taught by the Holy Spirit, to receive the common blessings of na- ture from the hands of God, as a Father and a Friend, and a God in covenant : And they rejoice in them as such, with humble thankfulness; they are instructed to derive useful meditations from the sun, moon, and stars ; and to read the wisdom, the power, and the glory of their Creator, and their Father there, and to rejoice in his goodness. The peaceful state of kingdoms, or battles, wars and earthquakes, and the convul- sion of nations, are all made useful lessons to a child of God and be gains something from all of them, by the teachings of the blessed Spirit.
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